we meet again
by ruatcaelum
Summary: She's back.


Title: We Meet Again

Title: We Meet Again

Author: gwencooper

Spoilers: Mild, mild spoilers for 4x11 and 4x12, Turn Left and The Stolen Earth.

Summary: She's back.

A/N: I wrote this ages ago, on seeing the next time for The Stolen Earth, where you see Rose standing in the middle of the street. My mindframe is that she was standing opposite the TARDIS, and so I thought it would be cool to write a fanfic based on them two meeting agin. Very, VERY AU. As I say, I hadn't seen 4x12 yet! Though this would have been quite a cool reunion, I think. Anyway, enjoy!!

--

The TARDIS door opens ever-so-slightly, and he emerges out, closing the door behind him, and stands still. His eyes meet hers.

'You're carrying a gun,' He tells her and she shifts slightly under his unrelenting gaze.

'I had no choice,' She replies. She knows it's weak, but right now, it's the best she can come up with.

'There's always a choice,' He responds, within a heartbeat. There is a silence, not even broken by the wailing sirens of police cars in the distance, or the dull screech of tires somewhere to their right.

Without breaking his gaze, she reaches behind her and pulls off the strap of the gun, bringing it over her head so she can throw the gun to one side, where it clatters with a crash to the edge of the pavement and just lies there, forgotten, as the two remain with eyes locked on one another.

He can't help but let a small smile spread across his lips as she does so; she's still the same woman after all this time- always fighting for peace.

It's infectious and soon enough she is smiling too, an almighty grin that spreads from ear to ear as she watches him. He's back, and not in a dream or in some twisted reality of hers. Her Doctor is here.

'You came back,' He tells her, still not breaking their gaze and she nods back ever so slightly.

'Like I said, I didn't have a choice,' She finally replies, still grinning though, and the shadow of what may have been confusion sweeps across his face. But it's gone as quickly as it arrived, and he's finally broken the gaze, taking her in fully, looking her up and down.

Neither can think of anything to say, it's been so long, so much has happened, so much had happened between them, feelings lain aside, lain dormant for so long.

'It's been a while,' She finally tells him, the smile softly fading from her face as his eyes meet hers again. They are still metres apart.

'Yeah,' He murmurs back, for once not having the words to tell her, after so long he's surprised with himself that this is all he can say, he's angry, almost.

A sudden crash from somewhere behind them diverts Rose's attention, and she glances back, breaking eye contact, to squint at something in the distance.

When she looks back, he notices her eyes are shining with tears.

'Doctor, we've gotta go.' She jerks a thumb in the general direction behind her. 'Saving the world and all that,' A light smirk graces her face, but the Doctor doesn't reply, stony-faced.

'Daleks can wait,' He tells her, his serious tone leaving no room for argument.

Rose looks away again, his gaze starting to break her, his eyes so deep and dark, and she can't handle their knowing, burning look anymore. It's too hard.

'I thought maybe you'd come,' She mumbles, and the Doctor's brow creases slightly in a frown as she continues to stare at the ground. 'Maybe you'd find a way. A way back.' She looks up at him now, and the utter sadness that masks her face causes his hearts to break just that little bit more. A sad smile ghosts her face as the first miserable, remorseful tear slides down her face. 'But you didn't.'

He's stuck, completely and utterly wordless as she breaks down into tears in front of him. It's happening all over again and he's going into complete panic, he can't think, he can't breathe-

Then, as quickly as her tears have started, they've stopped again, and she's smiling at him, wiping the tears from her face and acting as if it never happened. He can't quite decide whether to be relieved or scared.

She blinks her pretty brown eyes at him. 'But you're here now, and that's all that counts yeah?' She asks, but, once again, he doesn't smile back.

'You shouldn't be here, Rose,' He tells her quietly, swiftly walking in an approach towards her until he is only a few feet away from her, and Excuse me, I've got Daleks to fight!' she looks slightly offended.

'Alright then, you don't want me be to be here, then I'll go!' She says, stepping backwards, frowning in an attempt to hide how upset she was at his words, but he reaches forward and stops her moving with a strong hand on her arm.

'No, Rose. I want you to be here,' his sincere gaze told her as much, as well, 'But you really, really shouldn't be here. People from your universe-'

'But this IS my universe, Doctor!' She protests, cutting across him, and he looks away, sighs, doesn't catch her gaze again.

'Rose. You were in another universe.' He notices her about to say something, so he stops her. 'No, don't interrupt me, please, just let me finish. Look, those weird void jumper things you people seem to have are destroying the boundary between universes once more. You know what happened last time, Rose.' His voice is soft, but she is just staring at the ground, not wanting to remember. 'Rose,' He urges her gently, and she looks up suddenly, her eyes bright with tears once more, and just shakes her head at him.

'I don't want to leave, Doctor,' She's smiling now, laughing slightly as if this confession is somehow absurd. He just looks at her, the sadness deepening in his eyes.

'I don't want you to go either,' He says, and takes a step closer to her, and Rose's breath catches in her throat as she suddenly realises their proximity. 'But,' He sighs, and it's that sigh she's heard a thousand times, when he's saying or doing something he really doesn't want to. 'Universes collapsing and all that,' There's a slight smile on his face, but she just glares back, hazel eyes full of determination.

'Doctor, I've tried all this time to find a way back to you. I'm not just leaving now,' She says, hands slicing through the air as she emphasises her point, and she ends up pointing an accusatory finger at him.

There is a pause as neither move, neither say anything, it's just their eyes, locked on each other, fighting out the battle neither dare commit to words.

Then he's grabbing the hand she's still holding out to her, pulling her towards him and his lips are locking onto hers, and she's so surprised because this is what she's wanted for so long, she's merely committed it to a dream, but now it's happening, and she honestly doesn't know what to do. So she kisses him back.

But suddenly, he pulls back, almost reluctantly, but all the same, he leaves her bewildered, and the expression on his face is one of sincere apologies as he steps back, one hand behind his back.

'Doctor?' She asks, and his sheepish expression increases.

'Sorry. Needed to do that to figure out the trans-dimensional morphing code.' He tells her, rushing his words slightly, but she just frowns at him.

'Doctor, what?'

'I'm sorry,' He is suddenly intense and his voice is quiet, and that unfathomable sadness has returned to his eyes. But before she can question what he's doing, his hand is out from behind his back, and to her horror he's holding the sonic screwdriver, and he's pressing the button, and in that split second, she suddenly fades from view, sent back to her own universe.

He's left staring at the space where she was, her final expression as she disappeared burning itself into her memory, eyes full of remorse, that look she had as sudden, helpless realisation hit her, the disbelieving look in her eyes that had struck through his hearts harder than any collective Dalek empire could ever.

Turning around slowly, as if the weight of all his burdens is on his shoulders, the Doctor makes his way back to the TARDIS, head low and hands deep in pockets.

Clicking the key back in the place, he enters to see a woman standing by the console, smiling smugly. And, no, it isn't Donna, as he had expected to see, in fact she seems to have disappeared- in her place stands a certain blonde-haired girl he'd thought he'd never see again. Well, up until about five minutes ago anyway.

'You know, most women would be put off by the whole "I'm sending you to another universe without informing you" thing. But not me, I guess,' She comments dryly, mock-considering it, before grinning at him, tongue sticking out from between her teeth as she stares at him, laughter in her eyes, hands on hips.

'W-where's Donna?' Is what he finally manages to ask quietly, and Rose looks almost affronted.

'Oh, right. Obviously I'm of great importance to you. First, you don't even bother acknowledging my presence, _then_ you tell me you've got yet another companion! Just one more in a long line of 'em, wasn't I, Doctor?' Rose is angry now, and he finally manages to look up from the floor to glare at her, in that "don't-you-dare-mess-with-me" way.

'Rose, I thought I told you. You can't stay here. Your very presence is tearing apart two realities-'

'So?' She asks, and he realises with regret that she's close to tears once more, her very reply oh so reminiscent of that day on the beach so long ago, and he can't tell her off anymore, can't even reprimand her for her careless abuse of two universes, not when she's looking at him like that. 'Doctor, I've tried to tell you. Whole universes can't keep me apart from you. Doctor, I-'

'Don't say it.' He interrupts, but she just lifts her chin, not even bothering to waste time questioning his reluctance, and she quickly steps forward to join him at the TARDIS entrance.

'Doctor.' She says slowly, and he doesn't look up at her, just stares at the ground like a naughty child being told off, so she just continues. 'Doctor. I love you.' Gently nudging his chin up with her finger, she sees his eyes are burning with all the things he wants to tell her, but also with all the things he's seen and done, all swirling together within those too dark, vast orbs that are now bright with tears.

'Rose, I- I can't-' He begins, but Rose just smiles softly.

'It's OK, Doctor. I understand.' She tells him, voice filled with unrelenting understanding, and love, and he just pulls her into his arms and the two are silent. Oh, how he loves her.

--

Reviews are love 


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